Chocolate Chunk Artisan Bread

It is 5:30 and I have no idea what we are having for dinner.  Maybe scrambled eggs or maybe we will just eat this loaf of bread (that's what I want to do), but my boys think it tastes "too bitter".  I think they are crazy and I think this bread is amazing (especially when it is torn off in big chunks and given a smear of cold butter that melts into the warm bread).  This is what I am having for dinner.

Chocolate Chunk Artisan Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour, plus more for dusting

1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups water (I used a couple extra tablespoons to get a sticky, shaggy dough)

1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used the 60% cacao chips, roughly chopped)

 
In a large bowl combine flour, yeast, salt, and chocolate.  Add 1 1/2 cups water and stir with a wooden spoon until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap.  Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably 18, at room temperature.

Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles.  Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball.  Generously coat a flour sack towel with flour, put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour.  Fold towel over and let rise for about 2 hours.  When it is ready, dough will be more than doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees.  Put a 6 to 8 quart heavy covered pot in oven as it heats.  When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven.  Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but don't worry.  Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.  Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 10-15 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a cooling rack.

My Aunt Traci (check out her blog tracimaglebyrecipes.blogspot.com) gave me the recipe for the Artisan Bread (minus the chocolate chunks) and it is a favorite in our house.